China’s Byton Seeks to Eclipse Rivals With Didi Deal

The two German automobile executives who founded Byton, a Chinese electric car startup, are confident that they can build a reliable vehicle. But they worry that manufacturing alone won’t make their company a success.

That’s why Byton also wants a piece of China’s $30 billion ride-hailing market. The company is in talks with Didi Chuxing and other ride-hailing companies about potential collaborations, Byton co-founder and chief executive, Carsten Breitfeld, disclosed in an interview with The Information. An alliance could involve a service for riders to hail Byton cars that would recognize individual passengers and offer them personally tailored services and entertainment. In exchange, Byton hopes to get a cut of ride-hailing companies’ revenues. A Didi spokeswoman declined to comment.